Pocket-knife



(Model.)

W. F. ROCKWELL.

POCKET KNIFE.

No. 317,208. Patented May 5, 1885. r

.Jen/@ufff that when the blade is in its eXtreme out posi- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

VILLIAM F. ROCKVELL, OF MERIDEN, CONNECTICUT.

leccion-Keurt.,

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 317,208, dated May 5, 1885.

Application tiled March 16, 1885.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that LWILLIAM F. RocnwnLL, of Meriden, in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented a new Improvement in a Tubular-Handle Knife; and I do hereby declare the following, when taken in connection with accompanying drawings and the letters of reference marked thereon, to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, and which said drawings constitute part of this specification, and represent, in

Figure l, a side view of the knife with the blade thrown out; Fig. 2,a sectional view ofthe handle, showing side view ofthe blade as within the handle; Fig. 3, the same showing the blade as thrown out; Fig. 4., aview of the back of the handle; Fig. 5, a perspective view of the spring; Fig. 6, a side view of the lining, showing the arrangement of the spring therein.

This invention relates to an improvement in that class of knives in which the blade is constructed to be moved longitudinally into the handle when not required for use, or thrown longitudinally outward to open the blade.

In the usual construction of this class of knives a latch of some character is necessary to hold the blade in its extreme positions. It is to the construction of thelatch that my invention particularly relates; and it consists in the construction and arrangement of the latch and its spring, as more fully hereinafter described, and particularly recited in the claims.

A. represents the handle, which may be of any desirable shape or style, according to the purpose for which the knife is intended.

The illustration shows the construction applied to a dirk-knife. The handle is closed upon all sides, but at the bolster end is open, as at a; B, the blade adapted to work through the opening a, and so as to stand entirely within the handle, as seen in Fig. 2, or be moved outward as seen in Fig. 3, for use. Upon the inside, at the bolster end, is a shoulder, I), against which a corresponding shoulder, d, on the blade will rest when the blade is in its out position, as seen in Fig. 3.

C is alatch hinged to the handle, and so tion its nose e will engage the shank of the blade and hold the blade irmly'in its out position and prevent its accidental return. The latch is hung upon a pivot, f, and from that (Model.)

side of the pivot opposite the nose the latch extends outward to form a convenient handle, h, upon which the thumb may be placed to depress the latch,as indicated in broken lines, Fig. 2. In the back of the handle, in rear of thelatch, aspring, t', iszarranged. This spring is constructed as seen in Fig. 5, and so that its rear end,Z, may stand beneath a lug, a, in the handle, as seen in Fig. 2. Midway between its rear and forward ends the spring is constructed with a lateral projection, r, upon each side, and the lining s of the handle is constructed with corresponding recesses, into which the said projections will rest, as seen in Fig. 6. The spring extends forward beneath the handle h of the latch, and soas to hold the handle outward with the nose inward against the blade, but yet so as to yield under pressure upon the handle, as indicated in broken lines, Fig. 2, to take the latch out of engagement with the blade, and when so out of engagement with the blade the blade may be thrown out, and when so thrown out, the Vlatch released, the spring will throw the latch into engagement with the blade, and so as to hold it in its out or extended position, or when returned into the handle the nose of the latch also engages the back of the blade to hold it in that closed position, and as seen in Fig. 2. This construction of latch and spring is simple and cheap, as the spring may be out from a strip of sheet-steel. The latch is in avconvenient position for operation, and not lia-ble to derangement.

The spring may be supported in the handle in the usual manner of supporting knifesprings, its free end extending beneath the handle end. of the latch, as shown.

I claiml. The combination of a tubular handle open at one end, ablade adapted to slide longitudinally in said handle, the handle and blade each constructed with a shoulder to arrest the blade when thrown to its out position, the latch C, hung in the back of said handle and at the back of the blade, the nose of said latch adapted to engage the blade in either its out or in positions, with the spring t', arranged in the back of the handle, its rear end supported beneath a lug in the handle, and constructed with lateral projections 1', and the liningl of the handle with corresponding recesses to re- IOO ceive said projections and form a support for saidspring, the Said spring extending beneath the latch in rear of its pivot, substantially as described.

5 2. The combination of a tubular handle open at one end, a blade adapted to slide longitudinally in said handle, the handle and blade each constructed with a shoulder to arrest the blade when thrown to its out position, the latch C,

1o hung in the back of the handle and at the back of the blade, the nose of said latch adapt ed to engage' the blade in either its out or in positions, with the spring fi, arranged in the back of the handle, the said spring extending beneath the latch in rear of its pivot, snbstan- I 5 tially as described.

. NVILLI AM F. ROCKVELL.

lVitnesses:

GEO. B. STEVENS, J. H. CHARLTON. 

